Tim Hortons, the Canadian quick service coffee chain founded by Canadian hockey player Tim Horton, has agreed to title sponsor the NHL Heritage Classic, part of a new multi-year partnership between Tim Hortons and the NHL. Tim Hortons has become the Official Quick Serve Restaurant Coffee, Donut and Breakfast of the NHL in Canada as part of the deal. Financial terms of the agreement were not released.

"We're proud to be the title sponsor of the 2011 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic and help bring the time-honored tradition of outdoor NHL hockey back to Canada," said Bill Moir, Chief Brand Marketing Officer of Tim Hortons.

The 2011 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic will take place on February 20th in Calgary as the Calgary Flames host the Montreal Canadiens in front of more than 40,000 fans outdoors at McMahon Stadium.

"Tim Hortons has a special connection with hockey, from our company founder to our ongoing support for hockey programs at all levels. Partnering with the NHL, home to the world's best players, is a natural fit and we look forward to this multi-year, multi-dimensional relationship," added Moir.

Additional assets as part of the title sponsorship for Tim Hortons include prominent on-ice brand position, on-air title broadcast rights with the CBC, including branded pre-promotion; and integration of the Tim Hortons brand throughout all NHL media properties, including NHL.com, NHL Network and NHL Radio. The company also has secured the rights to use League marks for in-store promotion and on Tim Cards.

"For many Canadians, Tim Hortons is a fond part of their hockey memories, whether they routinely stop by one of their restaurants after hockey practice or participated in the Timbits hockey program, as several NHL players -- including Sidney Crosby -- did," said Keith Wachtel, NHL Senior Vice President of Integrated Sales. "We are proud to have Tim Hortons on board for the Heritage Classic to create new memories and be part of what will undoubtedly become another great day for hockey."

Tim Hortons is the fourth-largest restaurant chain in North America, currently serving about 2 billion cups of coffee a year in Canada and the United States, the chain says. Tim Hortons is also the official coffee of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks.